Filtered space unit humidifier



p 7, 1954 c. v. RUNKLE FILTERED SPACE UNIT HUMIDIFIER Filed Aug. 14, 1953 I N V EN TOR.

C'f/JPL E S l. RUN/f4 E m A r roe/vs Y Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a filterin space unit humidifying device and has particular reference to a device and method for adding purified hot gaseous moisture to the air in a home, office or other place of business, or the like.

The object of this invention is to provide a filterin means in a humidifying device so that any source of water may be used in a humidity-- ing device, thereby making the water used in humidifying equal to substantially distilled water, and preventing the carrying of any impurities into the atmosphere by way of the vapor being generated.

With the substantially pure water provided by filtering the original water, as by using one of the conventional and well known modern ion exchange resin filters, the water will no longer readily conduct electricity, and inasmuch as good conduction is necessary in the use of an electric generator, a small amount of commercially available borax is placed in the vapor generator to Which the filtered water is fed, thus insuring proper conductivity without the presence of such impurities as might contaminate the vapor and thus the atmosphere.

As one example of a space unit humidifier to which this invention may be applied, this invention is shown in conjunction with the humidifier shown in this inventors prior Patent No. 2,638,528 of May 1 1953, but is obviously intended for use in conjunction with any suitable humidifier.

Another object of the invention is to generally improve space unit humidifying devices and to provide a device of that character which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efiicient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which produces a purified hot gaseous vapor which thoroughly mixes with the air in a room without the necessity of using fans or other mixing apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is constructed and arranged to produce a practically invisible vapor free from impurities which adds moisture to the air without producing any semblance of free moisture when the room temperature is at 60 F. or above and the saturation point has not been reached.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will humidify the air in a closed space and at the same time add a perceptible amount of B. t. u.s to the air, While the device is in operation.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawing forming part of the within disclosure in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed the reference character 1 indicates the case of housing for the working parts of the device. The case I is preferably made of a non-corrosive plastic material and formed with a bottom 8, side walls 9, end walls Hi and WA, top H and a lid l2 which is hinged as at 13. The case 1 is provided with a water tight vertical partition 14, which divides the case into a large compartment LA and a smaller compartment 1-3. The compartment 'l-A is water tight and serves as a reservoir for a pre-determined amount of water which is to be vaporized.

This large compartment l-A is subdivided by a vertical partition 52 spaced very slightly above the bottom 8 as at 53, and a horizontal partition 54 extending from the vertical partition 52 toward the end wall IU-A but stops slightly short thereof as at 55, thereby providing a raw water reservoir 55 thereabove connected at 55 to the compartment therebelow, a suitable filter 5! filling the compartment below the horizontal partition 54.

Obviously, raw water from the raw water reservoir 56 can reach the filter 51 only through the opening 55 and must pass through the filter 5'! to reach the opening 53 connecting to the sub-compartment between partition 52 and partition [4.

The smaller compartment 'l-B houses the principal working parts of the device, which are more particularly described hereafter. The principal working parts of the device include a generator l5, a generator tray 16, a float valve IT and an adjusting valve IS. The generator [5 comprises a rectangular box-like structure having sidewalls l9 and 20, end walls 2! and 22 and a top cover member 23, all of which are preferably formed of a non-corrosive plastic material similar to the material of which the case i is made. The end wall 2! is provided with an openin 21A to permit water to enter the generator I 5 from the tray It. The generator l5 rests on the generator tray l6 and is held to the top member H by a spacer 2% which is adapted to bear against the top cover 23 of the generator.

Secured to the front wall it by means of threaded brass members 25 and 26 is a copper plate 27 which forms one of the electrodes of the generator. A second copper plate 28 is secured to the rear wall 29 of the generator by means of the threaded elements 2! and 3B. The electrodes 2'! and 28 are preferably held in predetermined spaced relation by a non-conductive element or spacer 3 I.

It will be noted that the electrode 21 has one or more out out portions 32 formed along the lower edge thereof, this reduces the surface area of the electrode 2'! and its resulting potential. The electrodes 21 and 23 are respectively connected to the leads 33 and 34 to a 110 volt circuit through the plug 35. Filtered water enters the generator tray Hi from the reservoir 'l-A through the filler pipe 35. The flow of water is controlled by the control valve l8, which may be remotely controlled by means of the axially rotatable rod 31. A predetermined level of water is maintained in the tray l6 by means of a float valve ll, which is controlled by the iioat l'l-A. A slight amount of boraX is placed in the tray l5 and insures proper electrical conductivity to the water coming therein without the possibility of having any impurities present which might contaminate the vapour being generated due to their possible decomposition by the current of electricity passing therethrough.

In order to prevent the electric current from flowing from the generator [5, through the water line 36, I provide a novel circuit breaker, or a current breaker. The base of the current breaker is a cylindrical member 38, which is preferably made of a current insulating material such as the case I is made of and has a passage way therein. The water feed line 36 is connected to the bottom of the passage way 4c in the cylindrical member 38. The top of the passage way 30 is adapted to be closed by a rubber cup member 39, which is similar in shape to a conventional vacuum cup. The reduced passage Way 40 extending through the center of member 38 connects with the water line 36, so that when the rubber cup 39 is forced over the end of the cylindrical member 38, the water in the passage way ill and the water line 36 is moved leaving an air gap in the upper part of the narrow passage way 40 in the cylindrical member 33. The air gap prevents any current leaking from the water in the line 35, into the water in the main reservoir 'I-A, which current might tend to shock anyone who would come in contact with the main body of water in the reservoir 'l-A. The rubber cup 35 which closes the end of the current breaker 38 is mounted at the end of a rocker arm M which is pivotally mounted in a yoke 32 which is preferably cemented to the partition Hi. The rocker arm 4| is connected to a rod 43 which is slidably means of a rotatable locking arm 41 which engages a lip 48 comprising part of the bracket 44, which extends through a cut out formed in the upper member I l of the casing. The locking arm 47 is adapted to be rotated by means of a knurled knob 49. When the hinged lid I2 is closed it urges the rod 43 downwardly, this in turn rocks the arm 4! lifting the rubber cup 39 from the current breaker 38, allowing the Water to enter the passage way 40 and the water line 36. On the other hand when the lid [2 is lifted the rod 43 is urged upwardly under the influence of the spring 45, this rocks the arm ll downwardly causing the rubber cup 39 to close the passage way 40 through the current breaker 38. A water stack fit is connected to the water line 36 and extends upwardly on the inside of the compartment LB, this permits the water to rise in the stack Ell when the rubber cup 39 closes the end of the member 38. This is necessary to accommodate the water backed up in the line 36 by the cup 3% when either of the valves H or i8 is closed.

The vapor generated in the generator l5 escapes to atmosphere through the vapor outlet 5!.

The device functions as follows:

The raw water reservoir 56 is first filled with water from any available source, and flows from reservoir 55, through opening 55, filter 57, opening 53 to the sub-compartment between partitions 52 and M. The lid I2 is closed and locked in a closed position, and when the lid I2 is closed the rocker arm 4! lifts the rubber cup 39 from the member 33 permitting water to enter the line 35. The control valve i8 is then opened permitting the water to ilow through it and through the neat valve i! into the generator tray 46. When the water in the tray it reaches the desired depth the float valve ll shuts off the flow of water under the influence of the float il-A. The water level in the generator tray it is set so that the electrodes 27 and 28 will be partly submerged. The electrical plug 35 is then connected with a suitable source of volt electricity and the device begins to function. Upon passage of the current across the surface of the liquid, films of the liquid immediately commence to rise in rapid succession. The films bridge the space between the electrodes 2': and 28 and are arched upwardly. The current flows through the films until the latter become vaporized. Both of the electrodes become activated for a distance of several inches above the liquid level. The electrodes are of such low resistance as to be practically unheated by the flow of current through them. As the current flows through the electrodes and the films, the films become vaporized and rise through the interior of the generator l5 and are discharged into the atmosphere through the vapor discharge outlet 5!. The body of the liquid in the tray it remains comparatively cool so that the vaporization does not depend on heating any of the mass of liquid as in the case of the usual water humidifier. The vapor emanating from the discharge outlet 5| is pure and practically invisible and readily mixes with the air in the room.

When the room temperature is above-60 F7 and the saturation point has not been reached, there will be no release of free moisture as in the case of most humidifying devices. By the same token the vapor will add an appreciable number of B. t. u.s to the air in the room and will not reduce the air temperature as in the case of conventional humidifying devices. The device will continue to function in the manner indicated so long as water is maintained in the reservoir and the current is applied to the electrodes of the generator.

Obviously, any suitable filter such as a conventional modern ion exchange resin filter will be used in the filter compartment, and the invention has been described in conjunction with the humidifier shown in prior Patent 2,638,528 aforementioned, including the circuit breaker, or current breaker. However, when a suitable filter is used such as to so purify the water as to completely eliminate its conductivity, the circuit or current breaker may be omitted, for the water in the feed line 36 between the filter 5'! and the control valve l8 will be non-conducting, and thus serve as a circuit or current breaker, thus pre venting any possibility of causing a shock or a short circuit.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conducting material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the flow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through films of conductive filtered liquid formed in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the flow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive ma-- terial, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, conductivity providing means consisting of borax in said tray for the filtered liquid and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray, said filtered liquid in said purified liquid subcompartinent providing insulation between said tray and said raw liquid sub-compartment.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically and having an opening at its bottom, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition to adjacent a wall of said housing and stopping short thereof, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from saidpurified liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically and stopping short of the housing bottom, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition to a wall of said housing and having an opening adjacent said housing wall, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive FZ. filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

6; Ina device of the character described, in comloination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter subcompartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically and having an opening at its bottom, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition to adjacent a Wall of said housing and stopping short thereof, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through films of conductive filtered liquid formed in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from said purified. liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

'7; In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second' compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter subcompartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side or" said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically and stopping short of the housing bottom, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition to a wall of said housing and having an opening adjacent said housing wall, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through films of conductive filtered liquid formed in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sup-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, and a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said genorator.

9. In a device of the character described, in comhination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter sub-compartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid subcompartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically, the second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through conductive filtered liquid in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, conductivity providing means in said tray for the filtered liquid and means for controlling the fiow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid subcompartment to said tray, said filtered liquid in said purified liquid sub-compartment providing insulation between said tray and said raw liquid sub-compartment.

10. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing of non-conductive material, a partition in said housing dividing said housing into a liquid reservoir compartment and a second compartment, two additional partitions dividing said liquid reservoir compartment into a raw liquid sub-compartment, a filter subcompartment and a purified liquid sub-compartment, filter means in said filter compartment, said two additional partitions having feed openings connecting said raw liquid sub-compartment to one side of said filter in said filter sub-compartment, and connecting the opposite side of said filter and filter sub-compartment to said purified liquid sub-compartment, the first of said two additional partitions extending vertically, the

second of said two additional partitions extending horizontally from said first additional partition, an electric vapor generator in said second compartment having means for passing an electric current through films of conductive filtered liquid form in said generator, a tray in said second smaller compartment for supplying conductive filtered liquid to said generator, conductivity providing means consisting of borax in said tray for the filtered liquid and means for controlling the flow of filtered liquid from said purified liquid sub-compartment to said tray, said filtered liquid in said purified liquid sub-compartment providing insulation between said tray and said raw liquid sub-compartment.

ll. The method or" providing purified vapor to humidity a space unit comprising providing a source of raw liquid, passing the raw liquid through a purifying filter, feeding the purified liquid to a generator tray, providing a conduc- 9 tivity material to the purified liquid in the tray and passing an electric current through the conductified purified liquid to generate purified vapor therefrom.

12. The method of providing purified vapor to humidify a space unit comprising providing a source of raw liquid, passing the raw liquid through a purifying filter, feeding the purified liquid to a generator tray, utilizing the purified liquid to insulate the generator tray from the raw liquid, providing a conductivity material to the purified liquid in the tray and passing an electric 10 current through the conductified purified liquid to generate purified vapor therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 564,657 Stiebel July 28, 1896 1,075,978 Joerin et a1 Oct. 14, 1913 10 1,977,232 Ginder Oct. 16, 1934 2,000,628 White May 7, 1935 2,638,528 Runkle May 12, 1953 

